Sculptural Assemblages
Constructed from found organic material and mixed media.

Sculptural assemblages are a new direction I am exploring after many years of collecting. I use found organic materials with mixed media. A new work is derived initially from what I have collected and what I have at the time. It may take days, weeks or years of experimenting, before the final product emerges. Each piece begins with a concept, but I must be open to exploration during the construction process, as the work evolves. I aim to intrigue by juxtaposing ethereal with sinister, organic with man made. Typically a piece begins with an existing plant form as a base. I may add organic looking attachments that are bound in leather or jute, then add adornments like thorns, spines, feathers or fur. When the final product is complete I hope to confuse, by creating a surreal, fantasy object, part plant-part animal perhaps. My work refers to several topics. It alludes to tribal fetish and magic, touches on the 21st century subject of genetic engineering, or harks back to the Victorian fascination with preserving and displaying exotic curiosities - steven vella